Watch Pete Davidson Talk ‘SNL,’ Pot Jokes and His First Stand-Up Tour
Pete Davidson, a current member of Saturday Night Live‘s cast, has blown up on the comedy scene over the two seasons he’s been on the long-running show. From a role in Trainwreck to an appearance on Comedy Central’s Roast of Justin Bieber, the 22-year-old Staten Island native is already beginning to make a name for himself outside of SNL, but stand-up is still where he feels most comfortable. This summer, Davidson will embark on his first national stand-up tour, and he stopped by Rolling Stone to discuss his announcement.
On tour, the comedian will be performing new material that he’s preparing for the comedy special he’s taping in April at New York University’s Skirball Center, and will be joined by a roster of friends during his June trek. “I still kinda suck, but you just get better,” Davidson says of his talents. “I still don’t know my voice yet because I don’t know who I am as a person.”
Davidson has been performing around New York City since he was 16-years-old and was recommended for SNL by Bill Hader. “The wonderful thing about Saturday Night Live is I’m never in the show,” he says of the opportunity. “So the stand-up is the first time you get to actually see me.”
The comedian has found his niche basically playing himself and performing a version of his stand-up during the Weekend Update segments. Billed as the show’s “Resident Young Person,” he’d discuss drugs, sex and culture during his first season, but more recently, he’s become interested in expanding his repertoire. “You can’t say whatever you want on network television,” he reveals of censorship that watered down some of his jokes. “That pissed me off so I started to try and do smarter stuff, like stuff that would interest me like transgender bathrooms and Trump and gun control just to show that I’m not stuck to that.”
As for more film and television appearances, Davidson has no projects in the works currently, though he wouldn’t oppose to exploring the area more and compares his possible career trajectory to Rob Schneider’s. “I’m gonna be the guy that comes out of nowhere and is like ‘Who wants pizza?!’ I’m going to be that guy forever, and I’m fine with it. I’ll be in the background of your movie.”
Pete Davidson Tour Dates
June 10-11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
June 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Rialto Theater
June 13 – Charlotte, NC @ The Comedy Zone
June 14 – Raleigh, NC @ Goodnights Comedy Club
June 15 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Funny Bone
June 16 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
June 17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Hall of Homestead
June 18 – Columbus, OH @ Capitol Theatre
June 19 – Liberty Township, OH @ Liberty Funny Bone
June 21 – Cleveland, OH @ Hilarities
June 22 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
June 23 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
June 24 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
June 25 – Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre
June 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ Woman’s Club